neugey

Metallica, Priest, Slayer and so many others did set the bar very high.

But the root of the problem is, is that what is happening to metal is a smaller scale version of what is happening to rock and roll in society.

This is something I had wrote a few days after Prince died. A lot of it applies to metal as well as rock.

I've pretty much understood for a while now that rock and roll was a 1955-1995 thing. Gene Simmons is 100% right. I could list hundreds of reasons why the spirit of rock and roll vanished in the mid 90's, but most of them are probably obvious. And though there's been some great music made since 1995, music ceased being a cultural phenomenon. You can enjoy and find new quality artists, but now it's an underground experience and you're often left looking at genres of sub-genres of what should be much more acclaimed art form with a shared existence in the world.



The point is, by my observation, rock and roll has been dead for 20 years now. That's quite a bit of time, but it's certainly long enough to determine that there will be no rebound. The music industry and the dynamics of the world we live in have decided to go in another direction. It's most apparent with my teenage kids as it's obvious they don't view rock or pop music the same way as my generation does (I was born in '72) nor the same way my father or aunts and uncles do. The sense of discovery and attachment to music just isn't there any longer. Sure, my kids still enjoy music but it's a much more transient thing. Music is now a casual diversion. It's no longer a savior, it's no longer a ****-kicker, it's no longer a world expander. Our kids don't drink out of the fountain the way we had. And you can't force it on them, they've got to want to want it.



Justin Timberlake wrote some wonderful things about Prince yesterday. He seems like a decent guy who knows his stuff and has some ability. But he or his peers will never be celebrated in the same way Prince was, people packing the downtown streets of Minneapolis after yesterday's news. The paradigm has changed and those days are gone.



It hurts more now when our icons die, because we are losing our creative forces. It was easier when Buddy Holly, Janis, Jimi, Jim Morrison, Elvis, Lennon died - rock and roll was still blooming and more was yet to come. Those shoes couldn't be filled but there was plenty more shoes being made. That's not the case anymore.



But we also have a lot to be thankful for. What a great time to be born, in the midst of this relatively small 40-year rock and roll window and take it all in. Time to buy some good records past and present and I am itching to find out what that new Santana IV album is like.

So there you have it. Sapper, if you are looking for metal with amazing singing and guitar, you should out Nevermore. It's just too bad that they've broken up now. Also listen to the new Behemoth record "The Satanist". It's a very well-constructed record that uses the speed and brutality in the right spots as well as some horn and saxophone parts that blend beautifully with heavy music.